Through the Alphabet
by BlackElement7
Summary: And we go A through Z with Sasuke and Sakura to the end, be it tragic or blissful. SasuSaku
1. Anticlimax

**So I'm starting another collection. I'll do 26 short pieces based on themes chosen by random people and me sticking my finger into a dictionary. I hope it's not too bad.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**- - -**

_Anticlimax: a disappointing or inglorious descent_

She watches her husband talk with the children and can't help but wonder what has happened.

Green eyes that once sparkled with excitement dull as they observe the joyful, contented expression on his pale face.

The happiness that came with the wedding is long gone by now, and she is not blind to the smile that he reserves for his children – the smile that he has not given her for a long while.

But she can't drown herself in angst and self-pity, because he is not cruel to her; no, in fact, he is just as loving and close to her as he has ever been.

His smile is still tender and the fingers with which he touches her are still gentle, but there is something in the way that he interacts with his children that is missing the instant he turns to her.

She closes her eyes and smiles with just a touch of bitterness; after all, what kind of mother is jealous of her husband's love for their children?

He asks her if she's all right, keen as ever, and she looks at him. There is love and tenderness in his onyx orbs, but still she wants to cry out, and sob into his chest, and scream that it's not fair. Something is missing.

_(Look at me look at me look at __**me)**_

But she can't. There's nothing about which she can complain. He loves her, and though it gets predictable (boring, monotonous), she should be content.

And she is content. She only wishes that he would ook at her like he looks at the children.

Sakura has always hoped that they would go out with a sudden, impressive _bang_ together, but she and Sasuke are instead fading, drifting apart

(or are they crumbling

breaking

shattering?)

She is happy and yet not happy, but as she gazes into his eyes and breaks and does not break, she finds that she doesn't really care.

**End.**


	2. Brighten

_Brighten: to become or make bright or brighter_

She is like a candle, he muses. She is so small that at first there is a tendency to overlook her.

But when coaxed out the right way, with patience, the light that she shines can touch many.

Then he scowls and berates himself for being so sappy. He is Uchiha Sasuke, and he most certainly does not do sappy, or romantic, or lovestruck, or –

What the hell. Maybe he is getting sappy.

How strange. Sap is a fluid that circulates through the tissues of a plant.

Whatever. His eyebrows furrow as he frowns, thinking and turning to his left.

The sight of the petal-coloured hair and rosy skin of his bedmate throws light on his face, changing the grumpiness to a gentler, softer expression.

"Sakura," he whispers, reaching out and drawing her closer to him. "What are you doing to me?"

She shifts and squirms into him, bathing unconsciously in his offered warmth, but does not wake.

He observes her cheeks, where so many tears have run their course, and he thinks to himself that candles shouldn't cry, because tears are water and water will put the little flame out. And then all of the people who are touched by the light of the candle will be left in the dark.

And so he vows to himself, and her, and everyone, and no one, that as long as he lives, she will not shed another tear.

Then he groans at himself, places his cheek on her forehead, and dozes off.

**End.**


	3. Clam

_Clam: an edible bivalve mollusk_

As she watches her teammates from the safety of the shad of a tree, she considers the dark-haired male who has taken over so much of her life.

She is like a child, she decides, who has gone to the beach and has found a clam.

Sasuke, of course, is that clam. (She breaks out in giggles at the thought of a dark, broody mollusk, causing her boys to look curiously at her until she waves them away.)

She is a child who, upon bringing the creature home, discovers that her new friend will not open up to her.

After throwing tantrums and spending years trying to lure it into a false sense of security, she has finally sat down to think and assess the situation.

And she comes to the conclusion that she has been acting like an idiot for far too long; after all, didn't she use to listen to her mother's lectures on patience and kindness?  
So what she could not do with screaming

or kicking

or biting

or a hammer

or a crowbar

or a kunai

or chakra

or a jackhammer (though she wonders about that one)

she will do with a little bit of warm water. She will leave the poor thing alone for a while, and then talk to it and try to coax it open.

She takes her eyes off of Sasuke and looks at Naruto for once.

Two years later, when she asks him out again, he still says no, but this time it takes longer for him to answer.

And when he promises to go next time, she thinks that maybe that clam shell has opened up, just a little, and that she can just barely see something peering out at her.

And she smiles and continues to talk to her clam.

**End.**


	4. Dog

_Dog: a domesticated carnivore bred in many varieties_

"No." His voice is flat, his decision is final, and usually this would be the end of the discussion.

Not today. His petite wife stamps a foot and creates a large crater in the backyard. "Please?" she begs, clasping her hands in front of her chest and pouting prettily.

He sighs. "No, Sakura. I don't want a dog, I am the man of this house, and that is final!"  
"But… Sasuke-kun…" she whimpers piteously.

His eyes narrow in frustration. "No!" he snaps. She widens her own emerald eyes and slinks away, looking for all the world like (ironically) a kicked puppy.

He sighs and makes the fatal mistake of glancing at her again. She is giving him a pleading, tearful stare that strikes a guilty chord in his heart.

Now she's going to make him regret snapping at her, and even before he begins to turn away he knows to expect the quiet, bravely muffled sobs that cannot escape his keen ears.

_Kuso, Sakura…_ He grits his teeth and clenches his hands into fists, mentally fighting himself.

_Say no_, one part of him urges. _You're the man!  
She's crying,_ another part of him points out nastily. _You made her cry again._

_Ignore her,_ still another part of him insists.

Finally, the sound is too much to bear, and he turns back to Sakura, scowling in exasperation.

"Fine, Sakura," he mumbles. "We can get a dog."

In an instant, her arms are wrapped around his neck as she sobs her thanks. He awkwardly pats her back, at a loss for what to do.

And as her face is over his shoulder, he completely misses the smug smirk on her lips.

_Gotcha._

**End.**


	5. Emote

_Emote: to show emotion_

One day, he takes a good, hard look at her face.

At first all he sees is the same smile on her full lips and the warm glint in her eyes, but something prompts him to look deeper.

And then he sees what he's missed all along. The smile is too bright

(it's pasted on, held there by glue)

the spark in her eyes is dangerous

(controlled for the moment, but waiting to burst into flame)

and her laughter is fake

(forced, fabricated, exaggerated, too bright, too cheerful)

and he wonders, horrified, what has happened.

The source of light in his life is all a lie. She wears a mask all the time

(even when she's sleeping; it's been there for so long that it doesn't falter in the slightest when she is not consciously thinking about it)

and he asks himself when she learned to build such an effective illusion

(it's tricked him for so long, after all).

But then he remembers that he hasn't looked at her (at _her_) like this for quite a while. She's had practically forever to perfect her mask.

His eyes widen as he puts her down again, to test her mask, and not a muscle moves. She smiles and he sees the flame in her eyes flare up because he knows what to look for, and that is all.

Her mask is all that protects her. With horror, he realizes that it's protecting her from _him_. And it hurts.

(But not as much as it must have hurt her, and must still hurt her now.)

With the mask still firmly in place, there is no way he can tell how she's feeling. Already the spark in her eyes has dulled, and there is no indication of lasting damage.

_How could I have been so stupid?_

The mask will not come down at once, he knows

(but he's resolved that it _will_ come off).

It is held together by glue and tears and blood, but with a washcloth, warm water, patience, and time, he knows that he will be able to take it off of her.

_If it's there to protect her from me, then I'll make it so that she doesn't need it,_ he promises himself.

His eyes soften, and he sets to work, slowly and gently beginning to wipe at the mask.

Someday, he vows, she will not need to hide her emotions.

**End.**


	6. Frank

_Frank: blunt or direct_

Uchiha Sasuke has never been tactful. Yes, he can talk his way out of most situations, but he's always been direct and to the point, and the Rookie Nine has always known this.

So why are they so shocked when he asks – no, orders – Sakura to marry him?  
When Naruto demands the reason, he merely shrugs and replies that he needs to repopulate his clan, and she has the chakra control that he wishes his children to have.

There is no hesitancy in his voice, no guilt. There is no regard for Sakura's feelings, but she smiles and agrees.

And despite Naruto and Ino's best efforts, they have the smallest wedding in the history of Konoha that day.

(A small part of Sakura dies then, but Sasuke doesn't want fuss, and she'll do anything for her Sasuke-kun.)

In the day time, he acts no differently than before – in fact, he is the epitome of coldness – and all of her friends shake their heads.

But at night, in bed, he is loving and gentle and caring, and for this she is grateful. Even if he is pretending, in the dark she can tell herself that he loves her and not have his actions contradict her.

But he never says once that he loves her, and in the morning he is always gone.

Just once she longs to wake up with him beside her, but knows that it is only a dream, a far-off hope, a wish.

The only way that she will ever wake up beside him will be if he dies in his sleep.

(Or if she dies, because maybe in Heaven he will love her in both the day and the night.)

And though she knows he will be gone in the morning, she wraps her arms around his sleeping form and hopes –

What is it for which she hopes?

A response

tears

affection

a confession

Heaven

Hell

forever

his heart

dark eyes smoldering with emotion

a warm body beside hers when dawn breaks

dreams

the fantasy of a young girl's mind

for him to turn around and tell her that it's a mistake

his love

She hopes for death.

**End.**


	7. Good

_Good: proper or well-behaved_

"Stay here," he tells her curtly. "Don't go outside." Then with a poof of smoke, he is gone.

And she is alone.

Again.

This is not the first time he's told her to stay put and then left. She wants desperately to go after him, to beg him to take her with him, to hold him and never let go.

But he has taught her to be a good wife, and so she sits demurely at the table and waits.

(And inside, Inner Sakura is screaming and crying and thrashing about and doing everything that she wants to do but cannot do because she is a _good wife_.)

She has no fear that he is meeting another woman – he has her, and has made it quite clear that he only tolerates her because he needs a womb to bear children – and she knows that he has no interests in women.

(Not even her – not even his _wife_.)

But just once, she would like to know to where he disappears.

_(Can't you tell me, Sasuke-kun? Don't you trust me? Don't I deserve to know…?)_

And when he returns, it is always bruised and battered – she knows that somehow, he's trying to get stronger.

(But she's gotten stronger too, can't he see?)

She heals him, more quickly each time

(but he doesn't notice)

and she plays the caring wife

(but he pushes her aside)

and she smiles at him

(but each time it's more and more forced, more and more fake, and _oh God why can't he see it, why can't he save her, rescue her)_

and each time, he grunts when she's finished and stalks away. She smiles sadly at his back

(because it's all she ever sees of him, and it gets more and more familiar every day)

and tells herself that one day, he will turn and realize what a good wife she's been, and he will hold her and kiss her and tell her that he loves her

(and maybe pigs will fly, and Kakashi will be early, and Tsunade-shishou will stop drinking).

But until that day, she will sit there like a good wife, and she will wait for him.

(She may sit there for eternity, but a good wife has patience, and if nothing else, she is a good wife, and she will be rewarded.

Someday.)

**End.**


	8. Heartache

_Heartache: sorrow or grief_

"Heartache," she murmurs, "is when you feel so much sorrow that your heart feels like it's going to break."

He sleeping husband shifts ever so slightly as she fingers his ebony hair and continues. "You don't need a whole heart to feel heartache; even tiny, shattered fragments can ache."

She smiles sadly and her hand pauses, stroking a defined cheekbone lovingly, basking in the intimate contact of which she is always deprived when he is awake.

"After all, every time you turn away from me, the tiny pieces you've created cry out for you to fix them."

The silence in the darkened room presses down on her, mocking. Still her dark-haired love slumbers. His face is so peaceful, she thinks, when he is sleeping.

"You look so innocent when you're asleep," she laughs weakly. "It's almost as if you're incapable of breaking someone's heart."

A slender finger absently caresses his face as her shoulders shake. "If only you could stay that way all the time," she mumbles, bending over him as she closes her eyes and listens to his even breathing.

"Sasuke-kun… I'm pathetic, aren't I?" she says suddenly. "I can't even talk to you without crying! My heart's already broken, but those pieces can shatter, and those shards still ache."

And all at once, she's sobbing. She's sobbing, and she can't stop, and suddenly –

Suddenly, he's sitting up and staring at her oddly. She tries, she really does, but she doesn't have his iron-willpower, and she can't stop.

"Gomenasai…" she hiccups miserably. "I – " She attempts to flee, but there is a strong hand on her wrist preventing her from leaving.

He does not say anything, only looks into her eyes with eyes of his own that are steadfast and unreadable.

Given strength by his solidness, she steels herself and (with a wrenching effort) manages to silence herself.

And as she always does when he wakes and pulls away, she forces a bright smile (although in the dim light, it looks weary) to her face and chirps, "Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!"

He frowns, not fooled by her sudden cheerfulness. "Sakura," he begins, finally letting go of her.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She stands and starts to straighten the sheets. "What would you like for breakfast? There's some rice left over form last night; I can make some onigiri, and – "

"Sakura," he interrupts her impatiently.

She shuts her mouth, looking at him quizzically. "Hai, Sasuke-kun?"

"Why were you crying?" he asks bluntly.

Without missing a beat, she answers him promptly. "It's nothing, Sasuke-kun! I just needed to get some stress out."

He stands to let her fix his side of the bed, dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Sakura – "

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun!" she insists. "Really! You can go outside; I'll just finish here."

Slowly and slightly reluctantly, he steps out and, unknown to her, pauses outside the closed door.

Inside,, she lets the rest of the tears fall onto the newly-made bed. "And you walk away again," she whispers, voice muffled by her hands. "These pieces of my heart ache, but I wonder… can you feel heartache – you, without a heart?"  
Her words strike a chord in a supposedly nonexistent heart, and he squares his shoulders. He pushes the door open and steps in with the intent to comfort.

**End.**


	9. Igneous

_Igneous: characteristic of fire_

She remembers when he was bright and warm, like a friendly fire.

It seemed fitting, as the Uchiha clan was known for fire techniques.

She remembers the already impressive flame becoming an even more impressive fire.

But Orochimaru has poured oil and gasoline on him, and he has become a dangerous, frightening blaze –

and she is just a little scared. The blaze has burned the one who fed it, and she wonders who is next.

It took her a little while at first, but she has learned quickly that merry orange wisps of fire can become fierce blue flames of scorching heat.

Most of the time, large fires are put out to eliminate potential danger.

Not a few wonder to see Leaf fighting to save an uncontrollable wildfire.

When he is laid before her, dampened, with barely a flicker of life to him, she sets to work immediately.

He is her fire, and, she decides, she will be his oxygen, sacrificing herself for him.

He doesn't even have to ask. When he needs it, she is there, helping him.

The fire will use up the oxygen someday, she knows, and when there is no more, the fire will die.

But it's a slight comfort, knowing that he needs her to survive. It makes her feel useful.

She likes feeling useful. So she places her hands, glowing green, on his chest, and she becomes the oxygen for him.

_For her fire._

**End.**


	10. Jugular

_Jugular: several large veins carrying blood from the head to the heart_

There is a sword, and it is in a shadow.

There is a shadow, and it belongs to a boy.

There is a boy, and he has a curse mark.

There is a curse mark, and it is on a neck.

There is a neck, and there is a kunai positioned directly above the jugular vein.

There is silence, and the boy holds still, watching through emotionless, hooded eyes as a group of masked figures drops to the ground, surrounding him.

There are two ruby and onyx eyes, and they narrow.

There is a pair of thin lips, and one corner twitches in satisfaction.

There are twelve of the masked ones, and there is one body rotting at the bottom of the forest.

There is a kunai at the boy's neck, and the one holding it belongs to the boy's side.

There is a flash, and the captain of Konoha's ANBU moves.

There is a kunai lodged in the kunai-holder's throat, and there is a new kunai at the boy's neck.

"I am not so unobservant and complacent that I do not know my own squad, Uchiha Sasuke. I do not appreciate having my men and women slaughtered needlessly."

There is no grief in the voice that hisses at him, and the boy wonders who this captain is, who speaks of men as if they are useful tools.

There is a slight chill in the captain's words, but the rest of the squad does not shift. They are well trained, enduring even as their leader speaks of their fallen comrade like a lifeless object.

There is a raised, elegant eyebrow, and he replies at last. "Oh?" is all he offers.

There is a slight movement, and the captain jerks away. "Scatter!"

There is an order in a harsh voice, and one ANBU steps forward hesitantly. "Taichou – "

"Go!" The eleven flee.

There is an explosion, and only the captain is caught. As the dust clears, the boy makes his way toward where his opponent lays.

There is a mask, and it is no longer hiding a face.

There is a face, and there are eyes of emerald and hair of petals.

There is a gasp, and he steps back cautiously as she sits.

There is a captain, and she is a girl with weary eyes and a grim, cynical set to her lips.

There is a girl, and he gives her her name. "Sakura."

There is a head, and she cocks it, watching him with blank eyes. "Sasuke," she answers, her voice guarded and bland.

"_Taichou_," he murmurs, sneering, but there is a hint of curiosity in his voice, asking for – no, _demanding_ – an explanation.

"I've grown," she says simply. Beryl eyes hold his own, and he sees the question in them.

There is a memory, and in it she asks him to take her with him. The plea is still there in her eyes.

There is a silence, and she waits patiently, begging him with her eyes. Still he does not speak.

There is a sigh, and she stands and turns.

"Sakura." He does not move, but his single word stops her in her tracks.

"Hai?" She does not look at him, does not even move.

There is a decision, and it is made. "Meet me here in a week." She resumes her walking without a word.

There is a boy, and he watches her leave.

There is a girl, and she does not look back.

There is a week, and it has gone by.

There is a girl, and there is a boy, and they are together.

There is a love, and they will never be apart.

**End.**

**- - -**

**I was honestly going to leave it at "There is a girl, and she does not look back." But that would have been to angsty.**


	11. Key

_Key: a means to achieve something_

"Welcome to Team Hebi."

The greeting is accompanied by an outstretched hand and an amiable grin that bares jagged teeth.

Sakura stares at the pale boy before her as she takes his hand cautiously.

As the small group of five moves, he glances at her and speaks. "So, what's your name?"

She turns her head slightly, studying and analyzing him. "Haruno Sakura. You?"  
His grin widens. "I'm Houzuki Suigetsu. That's Juugo – " he jabs a thumb in the direction of the large man behind them " – and that's Karin." He points rudely at the red-haired girl who looks like her hairstylist's hand slipped.

"Hajimemashite." Somehow, Sakura manages to turn, execute a polite bow in midair, and land safely without faltering.

Suigetsu lets out a low whistle of admiration. Before he can say anything, though, Karin breaks in.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she demands, pushing her glasses further up on her nose with a slightly haughty air. But then again, almost everything about this kunoichi is condescending in one way or another.

Sakura shrugs, her face blank. "You needed a medic, so he found one." She sees the bespectacled kunoichi's eyes flicker toward the lone figure in front.

_Sasuke_.

"And he just happened to choose you?" the redhead says skeptically.

Again, a shrug. "I would suppose it was because he knew I would be willing to join him without a fight."

Karin raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"  
A pink eyebrow arches gracefully in response. Her lips quirk slightly, and her tone of voice is almost mocking as she answers with an imitation of her former teammate's grunt.

"Are you trying to sound like Sasuke-kun?" Karin sniffs, pointing an accusing finger.

The offender's lips stretch up even further, forming a full-out smirk. The sneer in her voice is no longer hidden, made clear to any who care to listen. "Of course not. Why would I want to sound like him?"  
"You're jealous!" Karin hisses, outstretched finger trembling with rage.

Sakura throws back her head and laughs. After all, why would she be jealous of a frightened eight-year-old child locked in the body of a ruthless killer?

"Sakura."

Karin closes her mouth to listen to her precious Sasuke-kun's voice; the pink-haired kunoichi looks at the raven-haired boy politely.

"Hai?"

"You've changed," he observes without turning.

She smiles faintly at his back. "So have you." She takes in the sight of the long, thin sword at his back and the way that he has grown taller.

"You know each other?" Suigetsu cuts in, looking back and forth between them.

"We were teammates," Sakura explains stiffly. Knowing this to be a tender subject, the group travels on without another word.

Lying of a blanket inside her own little tent, she stares upward and ponders her situation. She is the last member to his team, she knows, as the medic. She is the metaphorical key to his revenge.

Perhaps someday she will be the key to something else, as well. Deep in thought, she does not hear the rustle of fabric until someone sits beside her where she lays.

"Sakura," a deep, familiar voice murmurs.

"Sasuke-kun…" She starts to reach for him but stops herself, closing her eyes.

"Thank you for coming with us," she hears him say. She thinks that she feels something on her lips, but when she opens her eyes, he is gone.

She does not fail to notice the single pink petal on her blanket. She picks it up and smiles.

- - -

**I'm kind of disappointed in this one… So Suigetsu does have a surname. It took me forever to realize that. Heh…**


	12. Luminous

_Luminous: emitting light_

She is not an angel.

He knows this as he watches her.

Her eyes

(once sparkling emerald windows to her soul)

are a dull jade which have seen far too much and know more than she lets on.

Her lips

(once rosy and forever smiling)

are perpetually forced into a polite, empty smile that means nothing at all.

Her hands, with their long, slender fingers, have been coated in blood time and time again.

Though she heals, she is prepared to kill in the same breath.

Her innocence has been stolen away so that she can become a tool for killing.

Even her heart is tainted, because it loves a demon.

Perhaps if she tries hard enough, she will become a demon (fiend) as well.

Perhaps then he will accept her.

There is a feeling of bitter weariness in her once-dazzling face. She is full of self-mocking and disgust.

She is not pure and untouched, because she is a kunoichi – and that is what kunoichi do.

Shinobi use all the tools at hand, and he body is just another tool. And the pain fades after a while (but try as she might, she can never scrub off the shame).

She is not a white-clad angel, he thinks, but through the dark covering that is the life of a shinobi, something bright (white is the brightest shade of grey; she is not quite that, but as close as a shinobi can get) shines.

She is not completely clean, but she is not completely tainted either. There is still something good in her, and his bloodied hands will not dirty it. She is still good, and he is all evil. They do not belong together.

**End.**

- - -

**I'll be experimenting with different styles of writing, I guess, so expect some weird stuff. Especially for "q".**


	13. Monkey

_Monkey: fool_

Naruto is a fool, Sakura reflects. He accepts what he's been taught all his life without question.

He will face danger and death to save his friends, and he believes in unconditional love and friendship.

He has been betrayed, but still believes that if he tries hard enough, Sasuke will come back eventually.

Sakura smiles bitterly. She is no longer that naïve. She knows what they have never been told.

The shinobi of Konoha are no longer humans. They are killing machines with human weaknesses. Even the children with someday kill without remorse.

Sasuke will never return. He has chosen – his revenge for the dead is more important than the friendship of the living. He is also a fool, but in a different way. The best thing to do is to kill him and then move on, but here the weaknesses come into play. Sasuke will not be touched.

Sakura should not love him – in all actuality, she should hate him – but she is a killer with human emotions, and she does feel something for him.

Naruto would say to keep loving him, but he is a fool. He is blissful in his ignorance.

Sometimes Sakura wishes she could be a fool as well. She wants to find Sasuke and hold him and cry and tell him she loves him.

But her ideas of friendship still exist from when she was a fool, and she will protect Naruto.

Sasuke stopped being naïve before Sakura did, so she couldn't help him. But Naruto is still innocent, despite the blood on his hands, and she will protect him.

She will push Sasuke

(her childhood love, her naïve dream, her foolish hope)

to the back of her mind, and she will stand and ensure that Naruto stays a fool. She thinks that she likes him better that way.

**End.**


	14. Narcissism

_Narcissism: inordinate fascination with oneself_

In Greek mythology, Echo fell in love with Narcissus, but he was too absorbed in himself to notice her and she could do no more than echo back his words because of a curse placed on her by Hera.

She prayed to the goddess Aphrodite to disappear, and she was heard; in the end, nothing remained of her but her beautiful voice. In vengeance, Aphrodite ensnared Narcissus with her power – he fell in love with his own reflection and turned into a flower.

Sasuke may not be in love with himself, but his lust for revenge is consuming him; it blinds him to those around him, those who would help him – those who love him.

He ignores them – his home, his friends – in order to pursue a selfish goal

(he claims it is for his family, but in the end he is the only one who will be satisfied – will he be satisfied?)

and though she has been following him, helping him, for years, he has no qualms about knocking her out with two words of meaningless thanks and leaving her on a cold bench of stone, exposed to the dangers of the night

She is Echo, and he is Narcissus, and he has no time to spare for her. She would give anything for just one glance, one look, but his eyes are pointed ever forward, and she is behind him.

But if she is Echo, then where is Aphrodite? Where is the goddess who will take revenge for her? In her heart, she knows the answer.

There is no goddess who will help her disappear; she is on her own in her quest for Narcissus. If she fails, nothing will happen.

But just as there is no Aphrodite, there is no Hera, and there is no curse. She has her voice, and her fists, and her determination, and if anyone can help him, it is her.

She is a kunoichi, and she will fight to her last breath to save her Narcissus.

This time, she will scream her love for Narcissus, and he will turn.

This time, Narcissus will see his Echo, and this time, he will love her.

**End.**

**- - -**

**I love Greek mythology, so I had to do this. And I'm pretty sure that it was Aphrodite who helped Echo, but if wasn't then please correct me.**


	15. Occasional

_Occasional: appearing at infrequent intervals_

Ever once in a while, Sasuke graces them with a rare, seldom-seen smile. Not a smirk, but a true smile.

She remembers him smiling (and hiding it behind his hand) while watching Naruto chase Sai around.

She remembers him smiling, sadly and triumphantly at the same time, as he walked back into Konoha, carrying his brother's body.

Other than that, the times she remembers his lips curling into a smile are few and scattered; not once does she recall him ever smiling at _her_, and only her.

But today he has asked her (does it count as a question if it's actually an order framed as a request?) to marry him, and though she knows he is only asking her so that he can restore his clan, she says yes.

And his eyes soften (so slightly that perhaps she has imagined it) and his mouth quirks into a small (but it is there, nonetheless) smile.

Despite the way that he doesn't utter a sound and he doesn't embrace her as she'd half-hoped – doesn't do anything, really – he gives her a smile that she recognizes as genuine, and her face rearranges itself into a matching expression.

And never mind that the ceremony will be small, and he will probably not smile at her again, and she will be treated exactly the same way as before.

Today –

(and today is all that really matters)

he has smiled at her – and her alone – and she is content.

**End.**

**- - -**

**Angst or happiness? You decide.**


	16. Purple

_Purple: profane or shocking, as language_

Sasuke is not so naïve that he expects to be welcomed back into Konoha with open arms, but as he lies on his back with a bruise blooming beautifully on his cheek, ten feet from where he started, he knows that he definitely didn't expect this.

Pink hair fills his vision as he his hauled up roughly by the front of his shirt and a fist slams into his other cheek. Again, he goes flying.

"Sa – " he chokes out, but is rudely cut off as a heel is sharply introduced to his rib. He is dimly aware of the hysterical shouting (and the occasional laughter) that comes from the inside of the village gates, but all the registers at the moment is the pain.

And maybe he's a masochist, because at first he was determined to accept any punishment that came his way (he deserves it, he knows), but this is _ridiculous._

He tries to stand and defend himself, but his attacker barrels into him and sweeps his feet out from under him, causing him to fall flat onto his back again. A quick jab (though a light touch would work) renders his arms useless as he tries to push himself up.

"You - !" a female voice rages, emerald eyes blazing in fury. Just as she is about to bring her fist down again, another pair of hands takes hold of her shoulder, (just barely) keeping her still.

"Sakura-san, you'll kill him," a soft voice murmurs." Then where will you be?" With a regal turn of her head, the creamy eyes of Hyuuga Hinata glare at the blond shinobi behind her. "Naruto-kun, pick Uchiha-san up and we'll take him to Tsunade-sama."

Sasuke stares at the Hyuuga heiress, who speaks with quiet authority and is promptly obeyed.

Sakura's voice halts Naruto's actions. "No," she snarls. "I'll carry him."

Her words, coupled with the tone of one who is just barely keeping from going into a frenzied rage, sends chills down his back. Naruto tenses, having heard it as well, but hands Sasuke over nonetheless.

"Take care not to kill him," Hinata cautions, but does not chide Sakura for Sasuke's nearly unconscious state. In fact, if he looks hard enough (which makes his head all fuzzy, so he doesn't do it), he can see a satisfied glint in her pupil-less eyes.

He is swung around and hefted unceremoniously over a red-clad shoulder, kept there by an astonishingly powerful, not-quite-yet threatening grip on his back.

Without missing a beat, Sakura turns and trots to the hospital with just a little smugness in her stride. Her gait is smooth, and he feels himself losing consciousness.

When he wakes up, the blond Godaime Hokage surveys him carefully, solemnly, before breaking out into a smirk and congratulating him on surviving her apprentice's wrath.

"Welcome back to Konohagakure," she chuckles, standing up to leave.

"I'm not being punished?" he blurts out (but not awkwardly, because he's an Uchiha, and Uchiha are not awkward).

The glance she gives him before leaving conveys her amusement. "You don't get off that easily," she snickers. "Sakura's going to be your caretaker for a while."

Sakura steps in to replace her, cracking her knuckles menacingly. (She's not exactly supposed to threaten her patients, but who the hell cares?)

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she smiles sweetly (and somehow that is much more terrifying than anything else she could have done). "You're not going to go anywhere for a long time."

And seeing as he's strapped to the bed by chakra restraints, with half of the bones in his body broken and healing, sixteen different fractures, three enormous bruises, and a never-ending headache, he can't bring himself to disagree.

**End.**

**- - -**

**That boy really needs a good whipping.**


	17. Quiet

_Quiet: making little or no noise_

Booted feet make no sound as owner lands quietly on dying tree branches.

Masked face betrays no emotion as breathing is regulated to be silent and keen eyes dart around, taking everything in.

Hidden lips twist into sardonic, cynical smile and cheeks are dry and cool. There are no tears here.

Wry chuckle is muted deep inside chest; silence means success, and sound means death.

Target stands with back facing watcher, onyx hair blowing in harsh breeze.

Red-haired woman beside him glances back but says nothing, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Watcher allows one single moment of pride; target's chakra-sensing teammate has not noticed anyone close by.

Team of four sits on ground, planning to rest through darkening night.

Gloved, glowing-green hand snakes out and briefly touches back of female group member's neck – she slumps over, as if asleep.

Quietly, pale, sword-bearing male is dealt with, but as large, wild-eyed man goes down, he lets out anguished bellow.

Target jumps and sees intruder; he inhales sharply, bloody eyes whirling in rage – after all, team is dead.

He asks what she wants, but hunter merely pushes back mask and chest is pierced. Arm jerks aside and body is torn open, blood splattering messily.

Target stops breathing; hunter takes head. Mask is tucked away, bodies incinerated, head stored in scroll.

Hunter becomes Haruno Sakura; target is Sasuke-kun.

Face is still stone, but heart crumbles and weeps.

**End.**

**- - -**

**As promised, weirdness. Notice that there is no "the", "a", or "an" in here. It was… interesting to write.**


	18. Refined

_Refined: cultured or well-behaved_

He watches with slight surprise as she introduces herself to his teammates with manners that are impeccable.

She gives a bow and smiles; it is a smile tailored specifically for them; neither open enough to encourage impropriety nor empty enough to suggest disinterest. It is merely that – a smile, and it means nothing.

"Konnichiwa. Watashi wa Haruno Sakura desu," she murmurs, looking up at all three of them prettily. "Anata wa…?"

Suigetsu gives her a cheeky grin that is full of teeth. To her credit, she does not flinch at his strange appearance. Her expression stays the same, but her wide emerald eyes flicker to him, giving him her full attention.

"I'm Houzuki Suigetsu," he informs her with a twinkle in his eye. "Nice to meet ya."

She accepts his offered hand; Sasuke's eyes narrow when Suigetsu squeezes but she widens her smile and returns the pressure – and then some, judging from Suigetsu's wince.

He laughs as she releases his hand. "I like her," he announced sot no on in particular, and walks back to camp, whistling merrily.

The red-haired girl sticks up her nose snobbishly. "Why did you bring her here, Sasuke-kun?" she whines, as if the other girl is not there.

"She will be our medic, Karin," he tells her sternly. "Sakura, this is Karin."

Sakura bows again, face a politely smiling mask. "Anata wa…?" she asks the last member of Hebi.

"I'm Juugo," he replies calmly, also shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san." Introductions done, he ambles off to where Suigetsu is poking the fire with a stick.

"Now that you're officially one of us," Suigetsu calls to Sakura, "can you cook? Karin over there can't cook to save her – or in this case, our – life!"

With a wordless growl of rage, Karin stomps over to him and punches his head. He promptly turns to water, only to reform once her back is turned to him. Juugo just sighs and shakes his head.

"Well?" Sasuke looks at Sakura. "This is Team Hebi. What do you think?"

_A dysfunctional surrogate family,_ she thinks, but only gives a polite nod, ingrained into her mind by serving as Konoha's main ambassador.

"And interesting group," she answers blandly.

He is slightly perturbed by her generic answer but does not say anything.

As she watches Karin shriek at Suigetsu and try to pummel him into the ground, she is reminded of two young boys who act very much the same, and a faint, nostalgic smile touches her lips.

It is the first true smile he's seen out of her so far, and as Sasuke watches her lips curl upward slightly, he wonders if he can coax them to stay like that forever.

Well, he tells himself, he's got all the time in the world to try.

**End.**


	19. Scout

_Scout: a person sent out to obtain information_

"What are you doing here?" a smooth, deep voice hisses. A kunai touches threateningly to the intruder's throat and a stone wall blocks behind.

When the intruder gives no answer (because silence is golden, and one who does not speak gives away little information), the kunai comes up and taps the intruder's mask, shattering it.

Green eyes meet black, and pink hair tumbles out of the hood to cascade down thin shoulders.

"Sakura?" the male asks in surprise.

"Sasuke," the intruder replies flatly, giving a curt nod.

"Why are you here?" he demands, moving the kunai back to her throat.

She does not answer; only presses her lips shut defiantly and lifts her head.

"Sakura, tell me," he says warningly. Onyx eyes probe intensely for the truth within her mind; they have not yet bled to crimson, but are no less terrifying.

But emerald eyes have been dulled by time to jade, and the shine within them has become the muted gleam of experience. They are eyes as hard as stone as well, and they clash with obsidian without flinching.

They have seen horrors

(death, blood, gaping wounds, and screaming children without parents)

and they are impassive as diamond.

"Tell me, or I'll kill you," he threatens.

She laughs harshly and bares her throat mockingly. "Kill me and be done with it, then," is her reply. "I will tell you nothing."

He is taken aback

(what has she become, she who would accept death to keep her secret?)

and wonders where his innocent (_annoying_) teammate

(but he never need teammates, friends)

has gone.

(She's grown up, Sasuke.)

Any other time, he would have slit her throat without any qualms, but today a fierce urge to disobey order wells up

(_"Kill everyone you find, Sasuke-kun…_)

and he makes up his mind and backs away. "Go," he orders harshly, jerking his head toward the entrance to the caves. "Don't come back."  
Dull jade

(bitter green diamonds; precious, precious stones)

gaze back at him steadily but betray chaotic turmoil within.

"Sasuke," she whispers, reaching a hand up to his face

(almost touching him; she never quite manages to touch him)

"we're not going to leave until we have you with us. We _will_ rescue you."

He anticipates her touch on his face but just before they make contact, she pulls back

(because when you play with fire you get burned, and she's – not quite – learned her lesson).

Without a word, she gathers the pieces of her broken

(shattered, cracked, like her – nonexistent – heart)

mask and disappears.

He feels the chakra signatures flash for a brief second upon her safe return and heads back to Orochimaru, her words echoing in his head.

This time, he knows, they

(ANBU, dobe, Kakashi, Sasuke's replacement… Sakura)

will rescue him

(because you can't rescue one who does not want to be rescued)

without fail.

(He's going to make sure of it.)

**End.**

**- - -**

**Just in case you didn't get it, Sakura, Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi are all ANBU, coming to get Sasuke back. Sakura is caught by Sasuke while scouting around, and in the end he decides to go back with them.**


	20. Third

_Third: each of three equal parts into which something is divided_

"Four minus one is three. One is one third of three. One plus two is three. Three times one is three. Three plus four is seven."

She remembers reciting these facts in the Academy, learning her math. It is ironic, she thinks, because it took her all these years to learn to understand what she memorized when she was seven.

_Four minus one is three._

It's her and Sasuke-kun and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei that first few months. They've been so close together, and they've woven themselves together as separate threads in a tapestry – simple, but it is them.

She likes Kakashi-sensei and adores Sasuke-kun and cares for Naruto and they are her team and she loves them.

(Silly girl, stupid girl, you didn't know the meaning of love then.)

She smiles and holds them close to her beneath the starry sky because even as naïve as she is, she knows that good things don't last.

Kakashi-sensei slowly drifts away from them to drown in his own bittersweet memories and for a while, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto make up Team Seven.

(Kakashi-sensei never really wanted to be Team Seven; he got them started and they just kept going. With or without him.)

_One is one third of three._

It is a good thing that she held them close while she could, because soon Sasuke is torn away from her, and a little later, so is Naruto.

Sasuke joins Orochimaru for power to slay his brother.

(She asked herself on many moonless nights what kind of monster would want to kill his own family, but he was Sasuke-kun and therefore no monster to her.)

Naruto leaves with Jiraiya to get stronger so he can bring Sasuke back.

(Power, power, power. Why was it always for power?)

(Wasn't love enough?)

_(No.)_

(Wasn't friendship enough?)

_(No.)_

(Weren't memories of laughter and warm summer nights enough?)

_(No, no, no, no, no.)_

They need power, and for a while there is no Team Seven but for a faint flash in the fading memory of a young man with old eyes who is drowning in his sorrow and regret.

(I failed, I failed, I failed…)

_One plus two is three._

Eventually, Naruto comes back. It is a joyful day for Konoha, and the sun shines all the brighter for it.

(Now all they needed was Sasuke.)

Two thirds of Team Seven goes to find the last third, to make Team Seven – to make themselves – whole again.

(Whole, complete, full… Something they were once upon a time –

once upon a time, and maybe never would be again.)

And when they find that missing piece, that missing boy

(because for all his talking, he was only an eight-year-old boy trapped in a dark chamber with his dead parents and a brother who tried to save him by killing all he held dear)

he is so much stronger that they wonder –

_Does he have enough power now?_

His pride prevents him from following them home

(Konoha was his home, not Orochimaru's lair; and they were his team, not Hebi or Taka)

but a few weeks later, he limps into Konoha (home), still bearing injuries from Rasengan and chakra-filled punch.

His injuries are added to when his teammates discover him.

("Naruto, get off him; you're crushing his ribs and they were already broken to begin with!")

_Three times one is three._

It is a long, tedious journey back to health; after all, Sakura is a medic, and she severed all the right places during the fight.

It takes even longer for all of Konoha to accept the traitor in their midst

(the shinobi had all been affected, but Sasuke didn't really care about the opinions of the civilians)

and it seems like forever, but one day Sasuke finds himself sitting on a stool at Ichiraku's with a bowl of ramen before him and Naruto on his right and Sakura on his left.

He thinks that maybe he's been forgiven – just a little bit.

(Naruto was broke and Sasuke ended up paying, but it was a small price to pay for their forgiveness.)

Now all that's missing is Kakashi.

_Three plus four is seven._

And eventually Kakashi comes back, and they are four people again.

(It could almost have been them years ago, but for one thing.)

They all know that they will never be those ignorantly naïve children again

(Kakashi was never naïve, but he had been a little less jaded in his youth)

because they have the memories of three people, separated and lost

(they were searching for each other but stranded alone)

and they will do anything to keep from being alone again.

(Kakashi had gotten used to being alone; he was there to support the younger three – to keep them from becoming like him.)

And somewhere in the middle of this –

the spirits of four people, three young and one with old eyes –

the dark, haunting memories of three children, alone and abandoned –

the memory of a young girl reciting math in the Academy –

and what came after –

horror, pain, loneliness –

somewhere, all along, there was them.

(Sasuke, screaming over his parents' bodies; Naruto, mocked and shunned by his home village; Sakura, left behind, forsaken by her teammates for memories and power; Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi.)

_- They were (and had always been) Team Seven. - _

- - -

**I haven't updated in a long while, but for anyone who's got me on Author Alert, I promise that a longer story is being beta-ed as I type. I hope I didn't confuse anyone with my tense changes (with present time for the regular type and past tense in the parenthesis), but I was experimenting. The second to last paragraph – one of my betas said that I didn't need it there, but I liked it because it explains how I got the three plus four (the memories of Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto when they were young and then the four of them as they are now). Tell me what you think!**


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